I really enjoyed this dark, southern gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights with a supernatural twist. It was deeply addictive in the best way and I was glued to the pages from start to finish.

Shunned by her town and the Church, Cathy Earnshaw has spent the better part of her life trying to avoid the townspeople's notice because she was born with a gift most don’t understand. Cathy is wild, and vulnerable constantly fighting a battle over her body and her fate. She is trapped and alone, living with an abusive father. Then along comes Heathcliff, brash, handsome and completely wrong for her. They have so much tension and just can’t stay away from each other. Their chemistry is intense and incredibly sexy. You just can’t help cheering for them. Their meeting initiates a chain of events that wipes away the thinly veiled hold they had on their lives and sets them on a collision course for disaster.

Kenney is able to bring the small town setting to life. There is a constant feeling of something dark lurking just beneath the town and its people. I really enjoyed the author's exploration of family, trauma and religious fervor.

I loved how deep and mysterious the lore was. It was such an interesting take on Irish mythology. Ruthless Devotion is an action packed, emotionally charged supernatural thriller alongside a huge dose of magic and romance. With a fast paced compelling plot you will not be able to put this one down. This is an interconnected standalone, and I have not read the first two books, but it had no bearing on my experience with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I couldn't put down this book. A cult + supernatural beings from folklore + a spicy love story...count me IN.

It's a gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I have never read, so I can't tell you in which ways it was the same and/or different. That being said, I'm sure I prefer Rebecca's spicy version.

Amazing read from start to end.

5✨
3🌶️

I truly enjoyed reading this book - the writing was so beautiful and captured the romance so well. There was tension, there was spice, there was longing & banter. It hit every mark for me when it comes to what I look for in a romance novel. I also thought the overarching plot was really interesting, I found myself thinking about this book a lot when I put it down. I’m itching to read more from this world!

This series is WILD! The melding of Southern Gothic setting with Irish mythology remains chaotic, but utterly unlike anything else I’ve read. And Kenney’s prose is just so so good. Thoughtful, visceral, elegant. I have never read Wuthering Heights, but I loved how gone for each other Cathy & Heathcliff were. Such a raw and wild connection between them, as well as a palpable yearning for freedom. Plus cameos of characters from the previous books! I am convinced these books would make an incredible TV series.

Cathy has been raised under the harsh control of an alcoholic, religious father. Miserable as is, but made even worse by the fact that she’s a banshee, forced to wander and grieve local deaths. Heathcliff is the adopted son of the local outcasts - the Lockwood family - in addition to a powerful necromancer. When their paths cross the two are immediately drawn to each other. As they make plans to escape their circumstances, dark forces converge around them. Will they escape with their lives?

🖤 Wuthering Heights retelling
🖤 Banshee x necromancer
🖤 Small town romance
🖤 Southern Gothic vibes
🖤 Irish folklore
🖤 Religious fanaticism
🖤 Dark gods
🖤 3rd in a series of interconnected standalones
🖤 Open door spice, level 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🪾As someone who hasn’t read the source material I really enjoy reading the summary afterwards and identifying the similarities. Every time I find myself thinking “Oh that’s so clever how she reimagined that part!”

🪾 There was not just one bonkers intense ending….there was easily two. Holy smokes the last third is such an adrenaline rush where the stakes just get higher and higher, and poor Cathy in particular really goes through it! Thank goodness she gets an HEA!

Rebecca Kenney’s Ruthless Devotion is a deeply emotional and gripping contemporary romance that explores the magnetic, and sometimes dangerous, pull of loyalty, desire, and healing. With raw vulnerability and a fierce edge, Kenney delivers a romance that doesn’t shy away from trauma, power dynamics, and the long road toward trust. Kenney’s writing is intense, intimate, and atmospheric. She crafts scenes with a cinematic quality—equal parts brooding and tender—and her prose is infused with deep emotional resonance. The dialogue is sharp and emotionally charged, perfectly balancing sensual tension with heartfelt introspection.
The central relationship in Ruthless Devotion revolves around two complex, wounded individuals: a stoic, possessive protector and a fiercely brave heroine reclaiming her autonomy. Both characters are scarred—physically and emotionally—but over the course of the novel, they begin to unravel each other’s defenses. Their evolution is not rushed; Kenney gives them room to stumble, to lash out, to retreat—until vulnerability starts to replace fear. The growth here is earned, and it makes their eventual connection feel all the more rewarding. I find if you are a fans of authors like Katee Robert, Ana Huang, or Sophie Lark—those who appreciate emotionally intense, spice-laced paranormal romance with depth—will find Ruthless Devotion immensely satisfying.

"...his soul and mine were cut from the same shimmering fabric, hewn from the same rock, dipped from the same pool. Where we souls come from, we share the same source. I am Heathcliff, and he is me. Anger and arguments, terror and tragedy, chaos and pain — none of that will change what we are to each other."

With Ruthless Devotion Rebecca Kenney ups the dark Southern Gothic vibes of the Gilded Monsters series. Horrific monsters of myth are deftly woven together with cultist communities, tortured souls and desperate romance to create a captivating tale. Definitely my new favorite story from Rebecca Kenney. 🖤

Another Rebecca Kenney book that knocks it out of the park! I am absolutely loving this Gilded Monsters series with retellings inspired by classic novels and tales. I mean, the great gatsby? Dorian gray? And here we have wuthering heights. I wanted to hate Heathcliff just as much as I did in the actual book but the elements that were woven in made me like him. A LOT! And Cathy… Cathy definitely gave off some damsel vibes at times but she was also a likable character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

“Grief reminds us of the wretched truth that death is crawling ever nearer to us, grinning with crooked teeth, salivating for us, gibbering with eagerness, yearning to drag us down.”

I can’t express how excited I was to ARC read the 3rd installment of the Gilded Monsters series. AND WOOO boy this one took me on a fuckin’ ride that I was… not really prepared for, but in the best possible way. I’m obsessed with both Cathy & Heathcliff, their chemistry together is absolutely to die for. I *do* highly recommend reading Beautiful Villain & Charming Devil prior to jumping in here for the best reader experience. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this.

Tropes:
~Wuthering Heights retelling
~instalust but not instalove
~forbidden relationship
~toxic family

“That’s what I love about her— she’s wild as the cold wind, sharp as broken shells on the beach, tough as the old Southern oaks. She’s like the Spanish moss on the trees— lacy and fragile from a distance but wiry and rough up close.”

Okay so listen!! This was my first time diving into a Rebecca F. Kenney book, and honestly? I came for the haunted retelling vibes and stayed for the unhinged church politics and Celtic folklore chaos.

Imagine Wuthering Heights but everyone’s got trust issues, supernatural trauma, and one wrong magical sneeze could get you banned from Sunday service. That’s the vibe. Cathy has secret spooky powers (girlboss behavior), and Heathcliff rolls in like “hello I have secrets too, let’s kiss about it.” Naturally, things spiral

The romance wasn’t exactly a slow burn, it was more like, “Hi, I barely know you but let’s emotionally combust on sight.” The chemistry between them hits fast and hard, with barely any time to breathe before things get steamy… and then slightly cursed. As for the church? Definitely not chill about it. Every time something even mildly supernatural happened, the congregation reacted like someone dropped a tarot deck on the altar.

I went in expecting angst and quiet yearning, but what I got was raw, immediate attraction wrapped in magical chaos and honestly, it worked. There’s no delicate build-up here, just two people colliding under pressure with secrets, power, and way too much tension

I am a sucker for a retelling, that being said, I wouldn't suggest going into this as a like for like retelling of Wuthering Heights with a modern twist. It was unique in its own way and was a very enjoyable read.

There were times where I wanted to scream at Cathy for being so delusional in her faith to her church and those a part of it (even though I can empathise that she has spent her life with these people, so why should she all of a sudden think they're part of a murderous cult???) I think it stems from my dislike of the 'he's not good for me, but I still want him' narrative. Especially when Heathcliff always had Cathy's best interests in mind and never did anything to suggest otherwise except for his lastname.

Healthcliff however, was a wounded soul who I wanted to protect with every inch of my being. He did not let anyone or anything stop him from going after what he wanted and it's evident of that even with those who have wronged him, he still has enough emotional maturity to understand why and deal with that (case in point, with his brother Hindley)

I wasn't aware that there were other books in this series as I was drawn to the premise of this book alone, so cannot fully comment on the requirement to having read them first. I could see where it may have been beneficial, but overall I was able to keep up with the story without having done so! I think some of my confusion towards the end of the book may have been easier to navigate if I had, though not enough to throw off the whole story.

Overall the story was suspensful and a page turner, I just wish there may have been more depth, as it felt like we got to the big conflict out of nowhere, the same with Cathy and Heathcliff's romance. But for the page number we had, it was a fun read and I would definitely consider reading more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourebooks Casablanca for the eARC!

This was the first book that I've read by Rebecca F Kenney, and I'm impressed with what I read! We got a retelling of Wuthering Heights in a modern Southern gothic setting, along with a ton of magical worldbuilding and whatnot. I love the way that this book explored culty Evangelical phenomena, along with the contrast of pagan beings from Irish folklore.

This book follows the story of Cathy Earnshaw, a girl who's got uncanny supernatural powers that her community /cannot/ know about, or she risks getting excommunicated from the church congregation that she's grown up with. She meets Heathcliff Lockwood, a guy from an opposing family - and despite the romance being forbidden between them two, they hit it off pretty quickly. As they continue exploring each other, supernatural events keep happening and the church congregation gets riled up with every new phenomena.

I genuinely had a great time reading this. I loved the tension between Cathy and Heathcliff, and I also loved the way that their voice shone through their perspectives. With it being based on Wuthering Heights, I imagined more of a brooding yearning kind of story, but I think that the dynamic in this book works pretty well and stands for itself.

Overall, I would give this a 4/5 stars. It's a great read, especially if you're trying to get out of a reading slump.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. I loved how the author connected all the characters from the different series in the end. I also loved reading about the cult. I had never read Wuthering Heights, but I loved the historical aspect of the book and loved the series. I have to say this book is my favorite out of the three that are released. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and finished it. I loved the monsters in the series (banshee). I also loved learning about the different creatures of the book. Overall, I really loved the book.

I have never read Withering Heights before, but was intrigued by the blurb. I knew the premise was suppose to be a sort of toxic love, and that does come across in this story, but mostly from Cathy rather than Heathcliff. I hadn’t read any books with banshees, and I don’t think I would again. It was just not an interesting type of creature/character compared to the necromancer/ witch type. The story did get confusing towards the end, but it was unique. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely phenomenal!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this.

The mixture of different classic characters was a lovely idea, hints at their fictional lives were a nice addition.
Fast paced throughout, did not get bored at any point.
The relationship between the two characters is what most women crave (aside from the violence). He loves her fiercely.

Truly enjoyed this book. It took the story of Catherine and Heathcliffe and pulled it into a modern romantasy context. The underlying story of gods and supernaturals kept my interest page after page. Rebecca Kenney has written another one of her flawless romantasy retellings of a classic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book is for you if you like:
Insta-lust/love
Explicit and vulgar language
Irish folklore
Dark paranormal romance
1st person POV

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley for this ARC opportunity 💕

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The writing felt immature and choppy.
While I understood the need for instant sex, the chemistry didn’t feel natural. Unless they were mates? Bounded?! Who knows because there wasn’t any clarification about what would happen between the two characters during intimate moments. All I know is it was more than “love.”
Maybe I was lost because I didn’t read the previous two books?

I have this book at a 3, but it kept my attention enough for me to finish it, but I won’t be reading the next book.

The dynamic between the leads is full of tension, chemistry, and that delicious push-pull energy that makes you want to scream at the page and then hug it five minutes later.

One thing I really loved? The balance between darkness and vulnerability. The “ruthless” part of the title definitely applies—there are power plays, high stakes, and moments where you wonder how far things will go—but there’s also a real emotional undercurrent. These characters are broken in believable ways, and their growth feels earned. Nothing is handed to them easily, and honestly, that makes the payoff all the more satisfying. 4.5 Stars

🌶🌶.5 spice

This book actually surprised me, I had a really good time reading it. I never felt the need to put it down and do something. I was hooked pretty early on.

I loved the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff, definitely felt the connection and loved the strength they gave each other.

a banshee and a necromancer! it's a nice fresh combination, loved the folklore in the story. feels like Rebecca did her research!

you can definitely read this one as a stand-alone, although I've read the first one, but not the second one yet... I was eager to read this one. Each of the other stories couples do appear in this one.

There is definitely more to come with this story, will be interesting to see who the next couple are.

A nice easy quick read, paced really nicely. definitely recommend 👌

I loved this, definitely loved all the wuthering heights references and I love paranormal and supernatural elements in this.

I think the dynamic between Cathy and Heathcliff was done well, it was very funny and their chemistry was great. I think the romance was also developed really well.

This was such a darkly addictive and unique spin on Wuthering Heights. Think banshees, necromancers, a cultish Southern town, and two characters who feel like twin flames wrapped in trauma and longing. It’s intense, emotional, and messy in that purposely gothic-romantic kind of way.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I ended up really enjoying the moody atmosphere and the paranormal twist. Cathy’s banshee episodes and Heathcliff’s necromancy added layers to their connection that worked really well with the themes of grief, control, and forbidden love. The chemistry? Chaotic but magnetic.

I didn’t realise it was part of an interconnected series at first, and while this book does stand alone, it felt like some moments (especially near the end) would’ve hit harder with that extra context. I also wish we got a bit more depth with the cult dynamics and supernatural world—it had so much potential, and I would’ve loved to stay in it longer.

Overall though, it was a compelling, fast-paced read that delivered on emotion, angst, and atmosphere. Definitely one for fans of dark romance with a paranormal edge.